


Managing the Pain

by Felidominus



Category: Suzuka (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2079771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felidominus/pseuds/Felidominus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think a common theme in what I write is loneliness and learning to cope. This is something I wrote while my heart broke for the girls in Suzuka.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Managing the Pain

Habishi looked up as she heard the door open. "Ano..." she called out, "I'm in here."

"It's ok, I'm just bringing in towels," the voice of the manager sounded from the doorway.

"Ah, Sakurai-chan, thank you." Habishi replies, turning the knob of the shower to warm the water more, the cool air from the hallway outside the locker room quickly causing goosebumps to rise on her wet skin.

Sakurai moves across the room, silent like a mouse, her footfalls light from years of work as a shrine maiden at her family's temple. "I'll leave you some here. If you need more, I've filled put the rest into the closet here." she says.

"Ok!" Miki responds. The water strikes her skin and she winces in pain, a small noise escaping her lips as the water scalds her.

Honoka's voice is much closer when she asks through the rubber curtain of the stall, "are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just burnt myself. These knobs are tricky sometimes." Miki replies.

"I know, I burnt myself yesterday. I have some lotion, would you like it?" the shrine maiden turned track manager suggests from the outside of the shower stall.

"That would be nice." Habishi says, her voice rising a bit. " _She's such a nice girl. And pretty..._ " Honoka's face crosses her mind. "I like her hair too."

The curtain rustles a bit as Honoka's hand comes into view from outside the stall. "Here's the lotion." She says, holding the bottle inside the cube created by the three hanging curtains. Habishi thanks her, and places the bottle on the ledge with her shampoo and soaps. She steps back under the water, no longer scalding hot but warm and gentle, falling in trails over her.

"I hope you don't mind if I use the stall here," Honoka's soft voice sounds from the stall behind Miki's. "Managing is hard work and I need to rinse the sweat away."

Miki freezes, her mind imagining the long haired girl naked. " _No... I don't like girls._ " she thinks to herself. " _I don't even like her..._ " the image of her idol, the track star she's modelled her look after flashes through her mind. "It's ok Sakurai-chan, you're my teammate."

"Please call me Honoka." the soft voice says, rising above the sound of the twin falls of water in the showers.

"No, no, no..." Miki thinks in her head. " _I'm a bad girl, don't let me get closer._ " But inside her head, she's losing the race against the lusty feelings running wild inside. "So, Honoka-chan, which boy do you like?" she asks, trying to move away from the naughty thoughts in her head.

"I _liked_ Yamato-kun, but..." the black haired girl says, "he doesn't even act like I exist."

"Yeah, he's a fool for Suzuka." Habishi replies. "Oh shit, I'm sorry... that was..."

"It's ok." Honoka responds, her voice cracking.

"I didn't mean..." Miki says.

"But it is true, even if you didn't mean it." the shrine maiden says, her voice broken and even softer than usual. "He's such an idiot when it comes to her, I may have been blind to it for a while, but even stupid Honoka can recognize what is going on in front of her..."

"Honoka-chan... I'm sorry." Miki whispers.

"I'm ok..." the underclassman replies. "Really, I'm ok..." Honoka starts, but is interrupted when Miki yanks the curtain aside and steps toward her. "LIAR!" she says. "I know you're not ok... I can hear it in your voice." The taller girl wraps her arms around the manager and hugs her.

"Um... Habishi-sempai?" Honoka whispers.

"Yes?" the hurdler says, pushing a lock of Honoka's hair from her face.

"We're in the shower still." Honoka says, her voice shocked.

"Um..." Miki blushes. "I... forgot."

"I realize... but... you're still hugging me."

"I know..."

"Um..."

"Do you want me to let you go?"

"No..."

"I didn't think so."

Honoka blushes, her arms wrapping around Miki's waist. "Habishi-sempai?"

"Yes, Honoka-chan?"

"This is kinda nice. Can we stay like this a while?"

"As long as you need..."

"Thanks..." the shrine maiden says, pulling the taller girl to her and laying her head on the hurdler's shoulder.


End file.
